Shock-absorber.



C. YEAGER.

SHOCK ABSOPYIBER. APPLICATION FILED MAB.15. 1913.

1,077,781 .l V Patented Nov. 4, 1918 QVQJW. l

entre STATES PATIENT oratori :Specification of let'ters Yate'nt.

Patentes am. e, reist Application -led March 15, 1913; Serial No. 754,438.

T zZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known tha-tl, CARL YEAGER, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Birdsboro, in the county of Berks and State of which the fol-lowing is a, specification.'

' of the vehicle spring andv prevent a rapid The object of this invention `is to relieve a vehicle of shock when the same is subjected to a violentl movement which ordinarily would tend to disable the springs or .cause discomfort to the occupant.

' The invention is in the nature. of an atitachment to be interposed between the axle and body so as to regulate the movement rebound when the spring tends to regain a normal position after being subjected to. an abnormal 'compression dne to a wheelof' the vehicle dropping into a rut' or ydepression or passing over an obstruct-ion.

The invention consists of a shock absorber embodying a cylinder and a piston, the latterarranged to operate within the cylinder W and' saidcylinder having a valvecontrolled outlet for the rapid escape of air-'1 w'hn the` sirinor is com ressed and rovided with a l s P regulable air inlet for admitting air slowly to the cylinder so that the action of the vehicle spring in regaining itself. is. retarded, thereby preventing the rebound which is the chief cause of discomfortl to the occupant of the vehicle and which causes disabling of thel springs and furthermore is prolific of excessive wear upon the running gear and the engine of-mechanically propelled vehicles such as automobiles.

The invention consists of the no'vel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly Vset forth, illustrated in the `accompanying drawing,` and pointed out in the a pended claims.

Re erring to the drawing, forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 is a detail view is a sectional View, showinf of `part of a vehicle providedwith a shock absorber embodying the invention. Fig. 2 the parts von a larger scale. Fig. 3 is azliorizontal section on the line 3-3 of'Fig. 2, showing the part-s on a further enlargedscale. Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveview ofthe regulator for controllingI the admission of air into the cylinder.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following descrlption, and indi- 'Ga-tedin all the views oil the drawing, by the same reference characters.

The shock absorber comprises a cylinder -1 and a piston 2 arranged to operate therein. The cylinder is closed at one end by means of a headl 3 in which isv formed an opening 4 and :a passage 5, the? latter leading Afrom thefinterior .of the cylinder lthrough a side there-cf, and providing ferthe inflow of air when the piston 2 moves outwardly within the cylinder. The opening. 4 is centrallf disposed in the -head' al and is outwardly flared toferin a seat fora conical valve (lv A plate 7 is secured to the outer side of the head 3 by means of fastenings 8 and 1s provided with a. plurality of openings 9 for the escape of aie from the vcylinder when the piston 2 vmoves' inwardly therein. The. stem 10- of the valve 6 extends through an opening formed in the center of the plate 7 and is guided thereby to direct the valve 6 in its movements. A helical spring 11 is mounted upon the valve stem -10 and is conlined between the plate 7 and valve 6 and `normally exerts a pressure to hold said valve seated. The head 3 Ais set i-n a. short dise tance from the adjacent end of the cylinder 1, thereby leaving a space 12 in which is located the plate 7 and projecting end. of the valve stem 10. A cap 13 is tted to the projecting end of the cylinder I and is secured thereto -in any manner and closes the space 12 and prevents dust and-other foreign matter from interfering with' the free operation of the valve 6. An opening 14 is formed in the cap 13 for the escape of the 'air forced from the cylinder when the piston l l 2 is pressed inward therein.

The passage 5 is substantially of L form and its outer portion is interiorly threaded to receive the `regulator 15 by means of which the admission of air into the cylinder is controlled. The air regulator l5 consists of a stem lwhich is externally threaded to make screwthread connection with the passage 5, said stem having armilled head 16 to be grasped when setting the regulator to control the inflow of air through the passage 5, A longitudinal slot 17 is: formed in the stem 16 andtapers throughout its length,being contracted at its inner end and widened at its outer end. The parts 18' separated by the slot 17 are spread to Wcauee them to bind against the'lthreaded portion of the passage 5, thereby holding the regulator in the required adiusted posi` tion. Vhen the regulator is in position in the threaded part of the passage 5 the spring members 18 are held compressed, the result being that a positive frictional engagement 5 is preserved between the regulator and threaded portion of the passage 5 to prevent any casual movement of the regulator after being set. Bv reason of the outward flare of the slot 1'7 it will be understood that when l 0\the regulator is backed or moved outward inthe passage 5 the area of the air inlet is increased and conversely as the regulator is moved inward within the passage 5 the area of the air inlet is contracted, hence it follows that movement of the regulator varies the air inlet and controls the outward Inovement of the piston 2 in the cylinder l so that the action of the vehicle spring in regaining itself. after being compressed is controlled 9 to prevent discomfort to the occupant of the vehicle or injury to the vehicle spring, parts oi' the running gear or the engine or mechanism mounted thereon. r From the foregoing description, taken in 0 connection with the accompanying drawing, theJ advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to he the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a cylinder`having a valve controlled outlet and a passage for the inflow of air, a piston arranged to operate in the cylinder, and a regulator threaded into the air inlet and provided in its length with a laring slot to admit of varying the air inlet by setting the regulator in or out.

2. A shock absorber comprising a cylinder having a head near one end in which is formed an outwardly flared opening for the discharge of air and a passage for the inflow of air, a piston arranged to operate in the cylinder, a plate secured to the outer side of the cylinder head and extending over the flared o-pening thereof and provided with a central and side o-penings, a valve for closing downward in the said llared opening and having-a stein projecting through the central opening of the said plate, a helical spring mounted upon the stem of the valve and confined between the latter and the plate and normally exerting a pressure to hold the valve seated, and a regulator threaded into the air inlet passage and provided in its length with a flaring -slot to admit of varying the effective area of the air inlet.

In testimony whereof yI affix my lsignature in presence of -two witnesses.

CARL YEAGER.

Witnesses:

CARRIE WIAND', EMERSON W. RITCHEY. 

